Slightly Stoopid's Miles Doughty on Beach Life, Tour Life, and Taking Control of Their Destiny

Whether it's their hometown weather or the success they've found over the past 20 years, Slightly Stoopid seems to just take it easy. They have every right to: They formed their own independent label just seven years after their formation, ensuring that there's nothing that detracts from their ethos, allowing them to operate on their own terms. It's a rare model, finding a band who can successfully market themselves on their accord while growing their fan base, and it's an approach that's grassroots in every sense of the word.

"[Skunk] showed us the structure of keeping everything in-house and having control of all your music, what you release and what you do," Doughty explains. "We took what we learned from Brad and the guys in Sublime and we wanted to make our own records. We have the distribution through Sony as we'd get through a major label, but we're not having to give our music to a major that will control it -- we're in control of our own destiny, there's no finger-pointing."

Maybe going independent is the secret. Even in Doughty's vernacular and delivery, there's an air of relaxation and satisfaction that's rare in artists these days. It could be attributed to Slightly Stoopid's 420-friendly outlook as well, but he's a frontman who's a lot less harried and a lot more confident than most. Whatever the future has in store for the band, he's sure to temper his admission of success with what got them there in the first place.

"We definitely don't take it for granted," he says. "There are so many people who are struggling, working hard jobs and we're out here making music and trying to bring some good vibes to people that are helping us out along the way. We're lucky to play the music and have our fans appreciate it."